


Where Have You Been?

by Linismybaby



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Alternate Universe, Depression, F/F, Fluff, Happy Ending, Implied/Referenced Torture, Past Torture, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Psychological Trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-09
Updated: 2020-12-11
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:06:52
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 15,294
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27479278
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Linismybaby/pseuds/Linismybaby
Summary: Kya was kidnapped at age 18 by a notorious blood bender. When will she return? Where has she been?
Relationships: Aang/Katara (Avatar), Lin Beifong/Kya II, Pema/Tenzin (Avatar)
Comments: 40
Kudos: 86





	1. 1

**Author's Note:**

> TRIGGER WARNING. There is going to be a lot of graphic depictions of many different things. A lot of abuse. Don't worry, though. There will be happy parts!

**PAST**

___________________________________________________________________

It started out as any other day. Kya had been sparring with all of her siblings, teasing them relentlessly. Lin had decided to join them at some point, laughing and smiling more than she has in a long time. There was something about Kya that made her stomach feel fluttery and make her stress from the day disappear. The next thing she knew, Bumi, Tenzin, and herself were screaming, trying to grab Kya. She was floating, as if she were flying. f you were looking from a distance, it almost seemed like she was. Up close, however, you can see her tense body, you could see that someone was controlling her. Once Aang and Katara had realized that the screams were genuine fear, they rushed to see Kya being hovered over the ground, blood dripping from her mouth.

"YANKONE," Aang shouted, "PUT HER DOWN, NOW!" 

Yakone laughed, a disgusting laugh, and smiled. "Don't you go one second thinking that I will give up this easily." Aang stepped forward, trying to grasp his daughter. Yakone pulled her away, tightening his grip on her. "Ah, ah, Avatar Aang. If any of you take another step closer, I will see to it that she is obliterated." When he saw that nobody made advances towards them, he slightly loosened his hold on her. By this point, she was hunched over, blood still dripping down the sides of her lips. Everything seemed to be going in slow motion for Lin. She wanted to desperately reach out and take Kya into her arms, but she knew that would only lead to her death.

When Yakone was told that he wasn't going to get what he wanted, he summoned more people and they took off with Kya. That was the last time Lin has seen Kya. They spent months searching with no rest, yet they hadn't found anything. They even called the leaders of the other nations to try and help, but only Fire Lord Zuko was willing to send his army out to search.

**___________________________________________________________________**

When Kya opened her eyes, she was in a dark room. It only had one window, but it faced to West, so she only get sunlight during the later hours of the day. It smelled of must and mold. She was in pain. Her head was pounding, her throat was dry, and she felt like she was paralyzed. The door opened abruptly, causing her to take a deep inhale, and choke.

Yakone walked over, yanking her up by her chin. He inspected her before spitting in her face. Kya growled, trying to seem tough. Not just to scare him, but to reassure herself as well. "What do you want from me, Yankone? I don't have anything worth taking, and I am pretty sure that I am useless to you considering that I absolutely _hate_ your cause and you."

Yakone threw her on to the ground so she landed with a hard thud. Satisfied, he kneeled down in front of her to look her in the eye. "You, my dear, are going to tell me some details about your precious father, mother, uncles, and aunt." He then took sudden interest in his fingernails, examining them like they were a jewel of some sort. He sighed, still looking at his nails, and said, "If you don't tell me what I want to hear, you are going to regret it."

Kya coughed weakly. She tried to push herself into a sitting position, but she couldn't, so she just let herself lay on the cold concrete floor. "What do you want from me," she hissed, "I will not repeat that again."

This seemed to anger him because he grabbed her by the back of her shirt and pushed her against a wall. "I want...."

**___________________________________________________________________**

**18 MONTHS LATER**

**___________________________________________________________________**

Kya hadn't given him what he wanted, and he soon realized that she was telling the truth. She did not have any of the information that he needed. What he also realized is that she had also been giving information that could have landed him right in jail. Since she knew that general location of where the hideout was, and since she almost got him in trouble, Yakone resorted in punishing her. The abuse she suffered was nothing against the fact that she hadn't seen her family for so long. She missed them a lot, even though they annoyed her. She had taken them for granted, even hating them some times. She wish she could just go back and spend another day with her family. The person whom she missed the most was Lin. Before she had passed out, she had seen Lin's face and heard her pleas. It was heartbreaking to know that Lin didn't know where she was, what was happening to her, and even if she was still alive.

This past month has been particularly hard for Kya. She was about 8 months pregnant, and she hated it. She loved the baby already, but she hated that it was _her_ that was pregnant. She had always knew that she never liked men romantically, and this only reinforced that feeling.

**___________________________________________________________________**

**9 YEARS LATER**

**___________________________________________________________________**

After being there for a decade, the abuse and lack of care had become routine. She had two children, Chinu being 9 and Linny being 2. She was heavily pregnant with her third child. She was excited. The children gave her hope, and they helped her when she was having a particularly hard day.

The door to the room opened with a heavy thud as Yakone came in, obviously fuming about something. Kya knew to be kind to him, especially when he had a hard day. She learned this after she realized that when she wasn't being snarky, he wouldn't take his anger out on her as hard. He huffed, slamming three plates of food down on the desk. It looked to be three stale pieces of bread, a piece of some sort of meat, and two glasses of dirty water.

Ever since Yakone had walked into the room about 8 years ago and tripped over something and broke his foot, he had a light installed in the room.

Kya smiled, even though it was small. "How are you, today?"

Yakone huffed and said, "I am going to be leaving for the North Pole tomorrow. One of my buddies is going to be taking over. That one firebender guy, oh.. what was his name? Junji? Akani?"

"Avanik."

"Yes! Yes. Avanik." He then pointed at Chinu, "that little guys father." Kya has noticed that ever since she had become pregnant, Yakone had been nice to her. He was never like this before, but maybe his thoughts about her are changing.

Kya nodded and stretched. "Thank you for the food. I really do appreciate it." She patted her big baby bump and smiled, saying, "this little one has been very hungry."

Yakone nodded and left. That was the end of Kya's little patch of happiness.

As the month wore on, she had found herself being at the brunt of Avanik's anger. Her body was riddled with bruises and cuts. One day, it had gotten so bad that it forced her into labor. She gave birth to a healthy baby boy, Junsik. The other children adored him, and he loved his siblings. Kya wished that he didn't have to grow up in this world.

**___________________________________________________________________**

**1 YEAR LATER (PRESENT)**

**___________________________________________________________________**

Kya woke to a baby crying. She frantically looked around the room and realized that Avanik was coming towards her with a spool of rope. It looked like metal rope to her.

After an hour of fighting and crying, they were all led outside.

Avanik said, "welcome to the real world, kids." He then led them all to downtown Republic City. The trek took about an hour, and it drained Kya of all of her energy. He tied them up to a street lamp in a small alleyway, laughing. He then radioed the police, saying that there are suspicious people outside of his "home". A police man arrived, looking at the tree of them that were tied up with a questioning look.

He looked at the frail Kya that was riddled with bruises, cuts, and the like. She looked up at him, pleading to let them go. He recognized her immediately. As soon as he grabbed his walkie-talkie, Avanik and his buddy choked the policeman to death. The police station only picked up the gargle of liquid, and the screams of children. This caught Lin's attention. 

Lin and three other police officers made their way to where the distress call was originally made. Lin hoisted herself on to a rooftop, surveying what was happening. She was all of the sudden hyperfocused on the frail woman that was screaming for someone to stop.

She watched as Avanik walked up to her and yelled at her, "IF YOU SAY ONE MORE THING, I SWEAR TO THE VERY SPIRITS THAT WATCH OVER US, YOU WILL REGRET IT."

This caused Lin to get back to the task at hand. She landed gingerly behind him as the other police officers ran up to them saying, "HALT! YOU ARE NOW IN CUSTODY OF THE REPUBLIC CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT!"

The last thing Kya saw was Lin make eye contact as realization flashed across her face as to who the woman was the was currently tied up. She was promptly knocked out by Avanik's buddy so she couldn't interfere.


	2. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lin has a hard time accepting that Kya is missing and can not be found.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to Moirah for this idea! (TRIGGER WARNING: slight alcohol abuse. depression.)

**PAST**

_______________________________________________________________________

Seeing Kya handled like that was torture. Knowing that she would get hurt if any of them tried to stop Yakone was much worse. Lin has never been one for feelings, but she couldn't help but go home and cry that night. She cried for the need of her friend's presence, and the new feeling of loss that she once had laughed at.

She eventually turned all of her problems to alcohol. She would spend days drowning herself in whatever she could get her hands on. Her mother started to question her, but she didn't push. Eventually, she came home so drunk that she passed out as soon as she walked through the door. Su was there, and she was mortified to walk into the living room to see her sister passed out. She was clean for five months after that.

_______________________________________________________________________

**5 MONTHS LATER**

_______________________________________________________________________

Lin stretched and sighed. She looked at the clock, it read 5:00. She had to get up to go to the academy that her mother had started. She didn't want to.

When she got in to the academy, she was greeted by a bunch of police officers. She eventually spotted the Police Chief, talking with Aang. She walked up to them and stood there silently, waiting for orders. Her mother sighed and looked at her even though she was blind, "Lin, Aang and I have some follow ups on the case that we need to tell you about."

This made Lin's heart jump. She could hear her heart pounding in her ears, anticipating good news. Any news was good news, if it meant that they were one step closer to getting the waterbender.

Toph sensed that Lin was getting her hopes up. She cursed her daughter for not following the training of not getting your hopes up for anything, even if it _was_ good news. Toph pulled Lin into a rare embrace, and even sniffled. This made Lin's heart drop to her feet. She managed to stammer out, "Wha- what are the follow ups?" Lin looked over to Aang just as he wiped his thumb across his cheeks to rid any tears.

Toph inhaled sharply, startling them both. "We have found that she is _nowhere_ within Republic City. We asked the Earth Queen to send out soldiers, but you know how she is. We-"

Lin interrupted her mother, "We can just send out United Forces soldiers! I can assist!"

Toph sighed and pinched her nose. "What I was going to say is that we can't do that. That is a threat to the Earth Kingdom if we send troops in without any consent. And before you say anything, we asked her for consent and got denied."

The last thing Lin remembers from that day is storming home and losing herself in alcohol.

_______________________________________________________________________

**1 YEAR LATER**

**_______________________________________________________________________**

Lin woke up with a pounding headache. The fact that she had left her curtains open only made it worse as the sun shone through her windows. She got up slowly, trying not to aggravate her hangover. She looked in the mirror on the vanity and swore she saw someone else. She tried to rub every problem away with a washcloth, only succeeding in making her skin raw.

She sighed and sat down. There had been no improvements in the case, and they were all starting to lose hope. The Metalbender tried to grasp onto any little strand of hope there was. She dearly missed Kya, and she now knew why it was so hard for her to lose her. It wasn't just because they were best friends, but she loved the girl with all of her heart. She's only in a relationship with Tenzin because he is the closest thing she can get to Kya. She will never outwardly admit that, but it's true.

She made her way to the station, not bothering to do her hair. She got a lot of stares from the officers as she walked in. She scowled at all of them in return. This wasn't going to be a good day.

_______________________________________________________________________

**5 YEARS LATER**

_______________________________________________________________________

Lin had finally allowed herself to accept that Kya was gone. That Kya was most likely dead. She also finally managed to get out of the habit of abusing alcohol. She turned to giving herself up to Tenzin whenever he pleased. She left and got sick after every sexual encounter with him. She hated it, but it made her feel something other than the knowledge that she was now going to live her whole life without Kya.

She eventually found routine in her life. She worked hard to make sure nobody had to experience what Kya had. She also made sure that nobody turned out to be like Suyin, her younger sister that had cut her metal cords and caused two long scars on the side of her face.

One day, they got a call about Yakone torturing somebody. She was not allowed at the trial, but she knew that it didn't go very smoothly. She also knew that Aang had taken his bending away and that he took off. She cursed Aang that he didn't follow him. He could have led him straight to Kya. She was right about that. After he had his bending taken from him, he went to Kya and took it out on her.

_______________________________________________________________________

**4 YEARS LATER (PRESENT)**

_______________________________________________________________________

There had been a distress call from someone saying that there was a woman and three children tied up outside of his home. Lin had one of the police officers go out to examine the area. They got a incoming call from his walkie-talkie, but all they heard was the gurgling of liquid and the screams of children. This caused Lin to sit up straight. Something didn't sit with her right.

She pointed to three officers that were higher up in rank. "You three, you're coming with me. We're going to find out what this is about." They all nodded, fearing for what was about to happen.

Lin found herself on top of a building watching a woman screaming for someone to stop. He only responded with telling her that she would regret it if she didn't shut up. That made her snap back into action. When she was on ground level, she quickly took a survey of the area. There were three children and a really thin woman that looked to have bruises and cuts all over her body. There were two men that had now noticed their presence and took a fighting stance. Before she could do anything, the shorter of the two men tossed a chunk of rock and the woman's head. Just before she fell limp, recognition came to her. That was Kya. She frantically felt for a heartbeat through seismic sense. She thankfully found a very light heartbeat.

They eventually got the two men away and into prison. She opted to stay behind with the four people. The eldest looking boy inhaled sharply as she came close to them to remove the cable. He screamed, causing the other two children to cry. "DON'T TOUCH HER! PLEASE!"

Lin smiled softly before flicking her wrists and summoning the cables to her. She got down to eye level with him and say, "Kid, I am not going to hurt you. I am going to take you four to a healer and to somewhere safe." She saw the young girl tense. "What are your names?"

The older boy said, "I am Chinu." He pointed to the girl and the baby boy, "They are Linny and Junsik." He looked over to Kya and sighed, "That's our mother. Kya."

Lin smiled widely before taking them to Air Temple Island. Even though she destroyed the island when Tenzin ended things with her two years ago, she was still welcome. She scanned the area and caught sight of Katara. "Katara!"

Katara looked at her and ran over. This made Chinu and Linny take a few step backs. "Is that?" She covered her mouth as tears started to spill from her eyes.

Lin carefully handed Katara her daughter. Katara took note of how light she was. The Master Waterbender said, "I have to take you three as well as her to heal. You all look like you have some injuries."

Linny looked up at Lin, finding trust in the woman who saved her. She said quietly, "Ma'am, may you please come with us? This place is scary."

Lin nodded, holding her hand out for the young girl to take.

She knew that as long as she was with them, she would feel a sense of peace. She finally had Kya back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I hope you all liked this chapter! Any ideas for next chapter?


	3. 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kya wakes up. She doesn't remember what happened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the suggestions! This chapter will include suggestions from Moirah and Ana. TRIGGER WARNING

**FLASHBACK**

_______________________________________________________________________

Kya had spent at least five hours in labor, if not more. It was intense, and she hated it. She spent another hour pushing the baby out. When a healthy baby boy was born, she was ecstatic. She smiled down at him and cooed. He cried as he slowly opened his eyes.

She brushed her hand overtop of his head, admiring how much hair he already had. She whispered, "Your name is Chinu."

She was alone at the time, so she took it as an opportunity to get to know her son. He had dark hair and dark brown eyes. He was slightly lighter than her, and he had a cute birthmark just above his left hip that was shaped like a heart.

When Yakone came in, she tried her best to hide him, but he knew that Kya was no longer pregnant, so he knew that the baby was somewhere. He looked at her in the eye, "where is the child?"

She shook her head and put her hands over her face, hiding her expression. She didn't want him to know that she was afraid.

He walked up to her and kneeled down, taking her hands away from her face and forcing her to look him in the eyes. "I will ask nicely one more time. Where is the child?"

She let out a shaky breath and gently grabbed a bundle that was lying next to her. "I... His name is Chinu."

Yakone smiled, taking the baby into his arms. She could tell his smile was genuine and that his laughter was full of joy.

This was the beginning of a good day.

_______________________________________________________________________

When Kya found out that she was pregnant again, she was fearful and excited. She knew that Chinu would love his new sibling, but she feared that the child wouldn't get as lucky as their older brother.

When she woke up, she was in intense pain. She wasn't ready to have the baby yet. She was only 33 weeks pregnant, but she knew that she was in labor and that her body wasn't tricking her. As she neared the birth of her child, she was in extreme pain. The baby was going feet first, and was bent at an awkward angle. She screamed the whole way through, trying not to disturb Chinu, who was holding her hand in a gesture of reassurance.

Yakone burst into the room and noticed that she was breathing heavily. He looked at Chinu, "what is going on?!"

Chinu never broke his gaze from his mother, but replied with, "she's giving birth. She said that it is coming out the wrong way so it hurts her a lot."

She was in that pain for a little over two hours. She desperately needed healing, but all she wanted to do was hold her daughter. She smiled and ran her thumb over her cheek. "You look just like Lin. I... I think your name is Linny." She took another look at her daughter, noticing how blue her eyes were, yet how dark her hair was.

Chinu smiled and looked at his little sister. "Hi, Linny. I am Chinu. I hope you can bend like me!" He made a little puff of fire over his index finger before Kya stopped him.

"You know how Yakone and Avanik are against bending. I know you're excited about showing her everything you know, but you can't. I'm sorry, honey. I wish we were in a different circumstance."

_______________________________________________________________________

The day that she went into labor wasn't a good day. Both children were sad, and Yakone had left, leaving them in the hands of Avanik. 

Avanik came into the room, seemingly fuming about something. He decided to use Kya as a punching bag as the kids screamed. She cried as he landed hit after hit on her. After the tenth hit, she screamed out in pain as a contraction.

Simotaniously, the kids screamed, "MOM!"

Avanik looked down at her, confused as to why she screamed because he knows that she had learned to keep her mouth shut. He shrugged it off and continued punching her until she screamed louder.

She was able to manager the words, "The baby! It's," she grunted, "it's coming!"

As she held her son, she cried. She was happy that she had him, but she was in extreme pain. She looked him over once she was able to clear her vision of tears, and she made note of all of his features. He had pitch black hair and bronze eyes. He was very pale, and he was small. "Hi, Junsik," she said gently.

Avanik walked in with a towel and she screamed as he reached for her baby. That resulted in a rather hard blow to the head.

_______________________________________________________________________

**PRESENT**

_______________________________________________________________________

Kya gasped as she awoke from her nightmare. She suddenly felt a surge of pain shoot through her head. She groaned as she held her head in her hands.

After ten minutes of holding her head, she slowly sat up. She realized that she was somewhere different. She also noticed that she was alone. She began crying at the helpless feeling that washed over her. She wanted her children, and she wanted to know what was happening to them.

She looked up as the door slowly creaked open and Linny waddled in, smiling to herself as she twirled around. She then felt a strong hug and looked up to see Kya's tear-stained face. She held her mother in a tight hug for a moment before asking, "what's wrong, mommy? You're sad."

Kya sighed as she looked at her daughter. She was in a nice dress and her hair was did. "Where were you? Where are Chinu and Junsik?"

Linny looked at her mother and smiled. "They are with this really nice lady named Lin B.. Be.."

"Lin Beifong?"

Linny nodded. She then took her mothers hand and pulled her through the hallways of Air Temple Island, seeming like she had memorized that specific route.

They stepped into the doorway of the dining hall and suddenly felt all eyes on them. Kya stood there dumbstruck. Her brothers, mother, father, and Lin were all there.

Chinu handed Junsik to Lin before running over to Kya. "You're awake! We thought you weren't going to make it..."

Kya managed to fall down to her knees as she sobbed. She suddenly felt very vulnerable, and she tried to stop crying, which only led to more tears. Chinu pulled his mother into a hug and inhaled. "It's okay. I'm here. We're here. We're safe."

Kya felt a hand on her shoulder when Chinu pulled away. She looked up and was met with her mother's tear covered face. She practically jumped up and grabbed Katara in a tight hug that could have crushed the woman.

Katara pulled back, taking her daughters face in her hands. "Kya... I've missed you so much. I love you."

Kya sniffled and wiped the corners of her eyes with the sleeves of what they had put her in. She whispered, "I love you, too, mom."

_______________________________________________________________________

Lin was nervous about talking to Kya. The only time she had seen her was when she was taking her to Air Temple Island and that day. She stood nervously at Kya's door, debating about knocking or leaving. She decided that Kya needed time, so she turned to leave. Just as she managed a step, she was blasted by a small ball of air. She turned around and noticed Linny standing in the open doorway with a huge smile on her face.

She chuckled and said, "hey, kid."

Linny ran up to her and squealed. She grabbed the Metalbenders hand and pulled her into the room. Kya was sitting cross-legged on the bed looking at a picture. She looked up at Lin and smiled.

Lin looked down to the floor and shuffled a bit, not knowing what to say. She heard the floor boards creek lightly as Kya walked up to her. She then felt Kya pull her into a hug. This caused Lin's floodgates to open. She cried, not knowing how to stop nor wanting to stop. She finally had her friend back. That's all that mattered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Any ideas for next chapter? I am sorry if this chapter was terrible. I think I am just very mentally exhausted. Also, I think I developed a Monday and Friday schedule, but I can't promise that I will have the time to upload twice a week every week.


	4. 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What did Aang think of his daughter returning? Will the children get along with their new grandmother and Lin?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am using ideas from Moirah and C00L_STUFF. Thank you for the continued support! (TRIGGER WARNING)

**PRESENT**

___________________________________________________

When Katara came running into the room, Aang did not expect her to be holding Kya. It had been a decade since he had seen her, and quite frankly, he had given up hope in finding her.

When his wife set her down in the healing tub, he got a closer look at her. She was _extremely_ thin and she was riddled in bruises and cuts. Some of them had clear infections, and some of them were old and healed. He felt his heart ache for his daughter. He tried his best to help in the healing, but Katara did most of it.

The rest of the night, he sat holding Kya's hand while running his thumb along her knuckles. _She looks so peaceful_ , he thought.

Hours must of passed because it was know dark out when he was pulled from his thoughts by a light knock at the door. He whispered a small "come in" as to not wake Kya from her sleep. To his surprise, a little girl easily under four came walking in. She sat on the bed and smiled, looking at her mother. She ran her hand over the Waterbenders hair and hummed an old nomad song. Aang looked at her and smiled gently. He didn't know who the little girl sitting before him was. but she had a peaceful aura that reminded him much of Kya's aura when she was a young girl.

Linny finally took notice of Aang and her smile fell. She stopped all of her motions and became quite. She didn't know what to think of this strange man sitting in front of her. When she came into the room, she didn't notice him, so he obviously had been watching her the whole time. Aang noticed her change in demeanor, so he gently asked, "what's wrong?"

She looked down to her mother and back to Aang. "Who are you?"

Aang smiled slightly, and said even more gently, "I am Aang. I am Kya's father. May I ask who you are?"

Linny hesitated slightly before whispering, "I'm Linny." She then smiled widely and said, "if your her father, then that makes you my grandfather!"

Aang's eyes went wide. He hadn't expected this. He knew that Kya wasn't into men and never really wanted children, so for her to have a daughter surprised him. Linny caught his look of surprise, and took this as a chance to tell him about her brothers. "I also have a older brother, named Chinu. Oh, and a baby brother named Junsik." She held her hand out and offered to take him to her brothers.

___________________________________________________

Aang hadn't expected Kya to be up so fast. It had been roughly two days since she had been brought to the island, and he thought she would be out for longer. So, when she walked into the dining hall, it surprised him. He watched as she stood there and stared at everyone in shock. Linny whispered something to her and she responded equally as quiet. After she was seated at the table, he made his way over to her. She looked up at him and broke down. He whispered into her shoulder, "comer on, sweetheart. Let's go talk in the gardens."

Kya nodded and followed her dad. When they finally got to the gardens, she sighed and looked at the sky. She hasn't had a one-on-one talk with her father since she was 17. "What do you want to talk about?"

Aang looked at her and took her into his arms. "I am glad you are alive, Kya. We all thought," he choked on a sob before continuing with, "we all thought you were dead. _I_ thought you were dead."

Kya sunk into his arms before taking a shaky breath. "Dad, I am alive and alright now. That's all that matters. I have you, I have mom, I have everyone here." She paused for a moment to collect her bearings before she continued to talk. "I was surprised that I woke up in a different room. I certainly didn't expect to be _here_ out of all places." When Aang didn't say anything in response, she pulled away slightly to look at him. "Are you alright?"

He looked at her and furrowed his brow in contemplation. He didn't know how to say what he wanted to say without causing any form of pain or negative reaction from her. The Airbender inhaled and said, "Where.. where have you been? Where were you?"

The way Kya's face fell could have made someone cry. She managed to choke out a quiet "I don't know" before running off to her room crying.

___________________________________________________

Later that night, Aang had informed Katara what happened and she set out to find Kya. She asked Chinu where his mother was and he told her to follow him. The young boy knocked on the door and Kya opened it and smiled widely. Behind her was Lin and Linny quietly chatting to each other. Kya moved out of the doorway and motioned to them to come in. When they were all in the room and settled, she took her spot on the bed again.

She looked at Junsik before looking at her mother. "What brings you here? I know you would probably want some sort of detail, but," she motioned to the children, "now is not the best time."

Katara nodded and smiled gently before saying, "Aang told me that he had upset you or something along that line. I just wanted to make sure that you are okay."

Kya nodded and shot Lin a glance before turning her attention back to her mother. "I had some help from these two lovely ladies."

Linny giggled and said, "I am a very lovely lady. Right, Chinu?" Chinu looked at her and smirked before shaking his head to answer in place of a no. "Hey! That's rude." She turned her attetion to Kya and frowned. "Tell him that I am a lovely lady."

Kya looked at her pointedly, "please."

She glared before smiling. "Please?"

Kya looked at Chinu and smirked. She knew how much he hated it when she sided on anyone's side besides his, but what he did was rude, so she wanted to get back at him. Besides, Linny is a lovely lady. "Chinu, your sister is a very, very lovely lady. Say that you're sorry."

He looked down and grunted an apology before sitting down and fidgeting with a piece of string that he found on the bed.

Katara looked at Linny and Lin sitting close together and smiled. She loved when Lin got along with people, especially children. She was known for being a secluded lady, and someone who didn't let people know her inner self. She knew that if Linny wasn't Kya's daughter, she wouldn't have even thought about creating a relationship with the young girl other than professional. "I see that you found a friend, Linny. Is she nice?"

Linny eagerly nodded, looking at Lin with awe. She draped her arms around Lin's neck and giggled at the reaction she got from the Chief. "Lin is my bestest friend. She's so pretty and she smells like... I don't know what she smells like, but it smells good." Kya nodded in agreement and giggled at the blush that she had gotten out of Lin. She knew that Lin tried to hide the blush, so she didn't directly point it out. Though, Lin was due for teasing later. A decade of no teasing was too long.

Katara took Junsik from where he was resting and cooed. This was the first grandbaby she was able to hold, so she took advantage of it. She kissed his cheek, drawing a gurgle from him. Kya looked at them and smiled. "I think he likes you, mom." She paused for a slight second, taking in the image in front of her. "He really likes old ladies."

Katara shot her a glare before she turned her attention back to Junsik. "He is a very pretty baby. All of your children are amazing. I can tell that this one is going to be a bender. I can't quite put a finger on what element he will be able to bend, but he will be a bender."

Kya grinned and stood to take her mother and her youngest child into a light hug. Lin got up and stretched, "do you want me to go so you four can have a moment, or..."

Kya spun around so quickly that it almost caused the eldest woman to fall. "No! I mean.. no."

Lin shot her eyebrows up, surprised by this reaction. Linny stood up, and slowly picked her way over to her mother. "Are you okay?"

Kya sighed, not knowing the answer. She then plastered a smile on for her children and said, "yes."

Kata motioned for Chinu and Linny to follow her out of the room. "Come on, children. Let's give them some space."

After they all filed out of the room, Kya sat on her bed and slouched her shoulders and put her head in her hands and began to cry. Lin gently sat next to her and took her in a light hug. "Kya, look at me." Kya looked up and rubbed her eyes with the back of her hands. "Are you sure you're okay? You don't seem okay."

Kya looked at her before she looked a the behind her. "I.. no, Lin. I'm not okay. I am mentally and physically messed up." She gestured to herself and her her head back into her hands. "I look disgusting. I feel disgusting." She barely said something that was barely audible, but Lin heard it. "And I missed you. A lot. Specifically you."

Lin took Kya's hands away from her face and ran her thumbs over the back of them. "Kya, you are absolutely stunning. You are not disgusting, and you shouldn't feel disgusting. I missed you, too. You should have seen me over this decade. My life was absolute garbage. Spirits, I don't know why they even let me be the Chief of Police."

Kya looked at her, feeling a tiny feeling of guilt bury itself in the bottom of her stomach. "What.. why was your life garbage?"

Lin looked at the wall opposite of the Waterbender and sighed. "Well, I don't want to go into too much detail because I am _not_ someone who talks about emotions, but if you want some detail, I'll give it to you," At Kya's nod, she continued, "it started after you were gone. I felt absolutely useless. We had lost hope of finding you and I had my own problems to sort out. To say the least, I became a heavy alcoholic and I started to abuse sex for a feeling other than numbness. It made me feel disgusting, though, and I wish it never happened."

Kya took Lin into a surprisingly strong embrace. "I'm sorry Lin. This is all my fault. If I would've just-"

Lin cut her off by putting her finger over the elder woman's lips. "Kya, it wasn't your fault at all. If anything, it was Yakone's fault. I used to blame myself for letting him take you, but I realized that if I had done something, you would've died right there."

Kya tucked her head into Lin's shoulder and began sobbing. Although the mention of his name brought things up, she didn't want to leave Lin, so she and Lin sat in silence for the rest of the night until Kya's tears subsided and Kya fell asleep against Lin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am still debating on adding *adult* content in this. I have never written anything of the sort, and I think it would turn out bad. If you want that later on, you'll have to convince me to write it :). Anyways, thanks for reading! Any suggestions for next chapter?


	5. 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kya and Lin talk some more. The kids bond with their newfound grandparents. (TRIGGER WARNING)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really hope you are all enjoying this so far! I can't believe I have made it this far with this story! This chapter contains a suggestion from Jade. (TRIGGER WARNING) - (in case you missed the summary).

**PRESENT**

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After Katara had left Kya and Lin to themselves, she took her grandchildren to the gardens to talk to them and play around with them. When they got to the gardens, she noticed that Aang was meditating. She smiled and quietly led them to a spot that was near him. She instructed them to sit down and copy his pose, which caused Linny to groan. Katara looked at her with a raised eyebrow and asked, "Linny, are you bored already?"

Linny shook her head quickly, embarrassed that she groaned out loud.

After a while of quiet meditation, Junsik began to wail. This spooked Linny and she started to cry, which in turned caused Chinu to panic. Katara tried to calm them down, but was unsuccessful. She looked to Aang for help. Aang made his way to them and sat down on the ground. He gently took Linny's hands in his, and said softly, "why are you crying? Nobody is in danger. Junsik is fine. He's probably hungry," Aang scrunched up his face, "or he needs a diaper change."

Linny's sobs became hiccups as she giggled. "Yeah, mommy doesn't like dirty diapers either. They're stinky." She looked back towards the direction they came from, "is mommy going to spend the night with us?"

Katara sighed and tried to say something before Chinu interjected. "No. She needs some time. I can tell that those two are pretty close, and mom is probably resting." He took Linny into a tight hug as she began to cry again. "Linny, you can stay in my bed if you want." Linny nodded and sniffled slightly, trying to calm her tears.

Aang smiled as he took Chinu and Linny into a hug. "Before you go to bed, why don't we play a bit."

Linny smiled widely, now happier than Uncle Iroh when a new pot of tea is brewed. She used a lot of force to propel herself up and onto the Avatar's shoulders. This caused Aang's eyes to widen. "Wait... you're an Airbender?"

Linny nodded as she blew a stream of air from her nose onto his head. "Grandpa Aang, can you Airbend?"

Aang nodded and twirled his hand so a jet of air ruffled Chinu's hair. "Remind me later to teach you some cool tricks. I think it would be fun!"

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**FLASHBACK**

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Kya had been there nearly five years now. She was used to the constant torture and to the lack of food and water. She would skip meals a lot to give extra food to her son, so she was very underweight. Under normal circumstances, this would have concerned people. This didn't concern Avanik or Yakone, however. They took her lack of weight and strength as an advantage.

One day, she was quietly humming to Chinu as she ran her hands through his hair. He looked up at her, his curiosity getting the best of him. "Mommy, why do those scary men come in here and hurt you?"

Kya closed her eyes tight, forcing herself not to cry. She had to stay strong, not only for him, but for her. She sighed, knowing that this would have to be answered sooner or later. "Honey, they hurt me because they are able to. They were unable to get what they wanted, so the resorted to violence and _other things_."

Chinu looked down and said nothing for the rest of the day.

Kya was sitting on her bed with her head in her hands, after getting Chinu to sleep. She felt dirty. She looked horrible. She was horrible.

The door slammed open causing both her and her son to startle. Avanik stomped over to her and forcefully pushed her until she was laying down. She knew what was going to happen, so she called out to her son, who was already buried in his blanket, "Chinu, look away! Bury your head in blankets and don't lis- AH!" He forcefully entered her before she could finish her sentence.

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**PRESENT**

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Kya startled awake in a cold sweat. She sat up quickly, groaning when she felt the familiar pain between her legs. She looked to her right and saw Lin sleeping peacefully next to her. She carefully examined Lin's figure, feeling like even the slightest glance might wake her. She looked so _beautiful_. Looking down to her own body, she realized how horrible she looked. Her body was still _very_ thin, and she could barely feel the clothing graze her skin when she inhaled. She tried to hold it in, but she couldn't. She started to cry, at first just sniffling that turned into full sobs. She got down onto the floor and sat, rocking herself to try and calm herself.

Lin groaned as she was woken from her sleep. She rubbed her eyes and sat up quickly when she realized that Kya wasn't next to her. She heard the floorboards creek lightly followed by loud sobs. Lin got up out of bed and sat next to Kya, rubbing her hands in circles on her back, offering silent support.

Kya's sobs finally quieted and she grabbed Lin in a tight hug. "You... I... Thank you for sitting with me. I don't know why I didn't wake you up, but it was just... I don't know."

Lin nodded, feeling like she wanted to take Kya and give her everything that she ever wanted. "You know, Kya.. I know what nightmares feel like. Being alone after you wake up is not fun. Though, I don't think I can even begin to fathom what happens to you in your sleep. It must be some pretty scary stuff."

Kya nodded, looking up to Lin's face. She reached a hand up and traced the two scars the left side of her face. "I don't recall you ever having these. When I first saw you, I almost didn't recognize you. I do have to say, though, they make you look cool."

Lin grimaced at the unwanted memory and looked down into Kya's eyes. "That's a story for another day. Thank you, though. I don't think I ever get compliments about them."

Kya gasped and said, a bit surprised, "no way! I don't believe you!"

Lin chuckled, replying with, "yes way."

"Lin Beifong, I know I may not have seen you in a long time, but I do know that you don't _chuckle_ in front of people. Are you alright?" She rose a hand up to the younger woman's forehead to feel for a fever.

Lin smirked, looking down at her, "some people can make me laugh. I guess you happen to be one of them." _The only one._

They both sat in a comfortable silence until Lin's radio came to life and crackled with static. She groaned as she got up, not wanting to leave her spot on the floor. " _Beifong._ " She said into the radio.

" _We need backup. Now. Just off the Ferry Docking Pier. Armed robbery. Attempted assault._ "

" _I will be right there._ " Lin looked around for her armor. When she found it, she bent it on to her body and turned to Kya. "I will be back. I promise. I _never_ break promises."

Kya nodded and stood up, giving Lin one last hug before watching her walk towards the outsides of the temple.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really hoped you enjoyed! I know I definitely enjoy writing for you guys. Any ideas for next chapter? Also, Shadow, I will be adding your idea in (albeit, changed), so don't be sad that it's not in this chapter.


	6. 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lin had made a promise that she tries to keep. Kya finds that not knowing what is happening is frightening. (TRIGGER WARNING)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! I will be using ideas from Shadow in this chapter. I'm sorry if I changed them up a bit, but they didn't properly if I didn't change them. Hope you all had a safe and happy Thanksgiving! (TRIGGER WARNING)

**PRESENT**

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Lin had received a call for backup. She had promised Kya that she would return, but as she turned down another street towards the scene, she was beginning to think that the promise she had made might have been an empty one. The sounds of the scene were loud and there was a horrible screeching noise, like metal being scraped against rock. There was a screech and a bang which made Lin grimace. She stopped walking and stomped her foot down, seeing where everything was. "Crap," she muttered under her breath. What she saw was a bunch of bodies lying on the ground and a fight going on just South of the mass.

She decided to hoist herself on top of a nearby building to get a better look at what was happening. It was still quite early in the morning, and the moon was still in the sky. The light that was provided was dim, but it was good enough for her to make out one of her officers fighting against what seems like someone wearing some sort of mask. She squinted, noticing that there was not eye holes in the mask. That was a red flag in itself. She decided to stay put, but to shoot a cable at the person. When the cable made contact, the person grabbed it as hard as they could and yanked. Lin fell from the building with a scream. She made contact with the ground as everything went black.

_________________________________________________

Lin had finally regained consciousness. She groaned as she realized that her hands were restrained behind her by what seemed like rope. She tried to summon enough strength to pull a chunk of earth up, but it didn't work. She stopped straining against her bounds and decided to lie and wait.

After what seemed like hours, a middle-aged man and a young boy made their way into the room. She willed herself to stay as quiet as she could and to keep her breath even and slow. The boy walked over to her and examined her. She suddenly recognized a faint heartbeat. It wasn't strong, but she knew who it belonged to. 

_________________________________________________

**ROUGHLY 9 YEARS AGO**

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Lin ran from Air Temple Island crying. She was told news that changed her world. She could not process that she was, in fact, pregnant.

As the days went on, she grew restless. She spent most of her day doing paperwork or reading. When the baby had grown to a bigger mass inside of her, she started to feel a heartbeat. She fell in love with the feeling. She was saddened with the knowledge that she already had people signed up to adopt the child. She knew that they would be fine, but she would miss the heartbeat. She decided to take her time memorizing it.

When the baby was born, she held him close. She set her ear to his chest and listened. She heard the same thumping noise that she felt when she was pregnant with him. She sighed and took a look at him. He looked a lot like Tenzin with her eyes. As the adoptive parents took him, she set her foot on the floor to feel the familiar pattern of thumps grow faint and eventually disappear.

Whatever happened, she would _not_ tell Tenzin about this.

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**PRESENT**

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Lin was broken out of her memories by a rough hand forcing her to sit up. The man said, in a low and raspy voice, "I know you're awake, Beifong. We can hear you muttering to yourself."

Lin growled and tried to slam her head into his torso. That only resulted in an electric shock to permeate her body. She forced herself to remain quite, although, if you listened hard enough, you could hear the strained groan that she let out. She looked up at him and snarled. "What do you want with me?" She took a quick look to the boy that was now standing in the back of the room and then turned her attention back to the man. "And why would you have a young boy watching you do this to me? I can take the torture, but he shouldn't have to watch you do this."

This caused the boy to exhale sharply before he walked up to her. He looked into her eyes as he spat in her face. "I wanted to do this. It was always a dream of mine to take down the esteemed _Chief of Police_." He took a step backwards and shook his head. "Do you realize how pathetic you look right now? You can't even bend. You are useless to yourself and to your oh-so-precious officers." After Lin didn't answer, he clicked his tongue and shook his head. "See? Pathetic. Useless. Nobody wants you." The boy looked to his feet and felt emotion surge through him. " _I_ don't want you. You may have given birth to me, but you gave me up." He looked back up to see her looking at something behind him. "You didn't want me. You are getting payback in return for how you just up and threw me out the door."

Lin allowed her head to roll forward and she even managed a quiet sniffle before she shut off her emotions. "I didn't give you up. Do you realize how hard it was to say goodbye? I may have never wanted children, but I loved you and I memorized every detail of you, down to what your heartbeat feels like." She smiled up at him, knowing that the man had left the room a while ago to let the boy get his anger out. "You know, I knew it was you as soon as you walked through that door. Your heartbeat hasn't changed, and your face is still a close resemblance to your fathers." She sighed as she looked up to her hands. "I know you have bitter feelings about me, but I wouldn't mind if you helped me out of here. If you don't, I don't mind that either. I feel like I deserve this."

The boy considered her for a while before silently leaving the room. She does not know what he had decided upon, but she knows that someone will soon realize her absence.

_________________________________________________

By Lin's assumptions, it had been a week since she had been in that place. By the conversation she could make out, she was somewhere in inner Republic City. The man slammed the door open and stomped up to her, seething. "What have you done with the boy?"

She looked up at him, raising a questioning eyebrow. "What do you mean? I can't do anything to anybody in here."

He kicked her in the ribs, her metal uniform across the room in a crumpled heap. She grunted as she felt the impact. She knew that she was going to have to some serious healing. "He's gone! He ran a few days ago and hasn't returned!" Lin looked up at him, a knowing smirk plastered across her face. She chuckled at his stupidity, and grimaced as pain shot through her from her fractured rib.

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Kya had begun to get worried. Lin had told her that she would be back. It had been five days since then, and she still wasn't back. She was sitting quietly in the gazebo that looked over the bay, her heart pounding in her chest as she thought of what had happened to Lin.

Linny came running up to her and giggle. "Mommy, look what I can do!" She then twisted her body and formed a spiral of air around her. She giggled as she continued to twirl.

Kya smiled and gave her a thumbs up. She turned her attention back to the bay when she felt like she had watched for long enough to satisfy the girl's needs. Linny walked up to her and took her into a hug and questioned, "is everything okay? You seem sad."

Kya smiled at her and nodded, taking Linny into a tight embrace. They sat like that for a while, holding each other tightly. Kya began to hum an old nomad song that she had learned when she was younger. Linny perked up and started to sign, almost directly into her mother's ear, "SECRET TUNNEL! SECRET TUNNEL!"

Kya grimaced, but laughed. "Honey, not in my ear please. I need my hearing."

Linny blushed and muttered an apology. She then turned abruptly and pointed to something. "Who's that?"

Kya turned to see a young boy about Chinu's age running up to them. She stood up and grabbed Linny's hand tightly, unsure of what the boys intent was. The boy came to a stop about eight feet from them. He took a moment to catch his breath before looking up at her and gasping. "Wait... you're Kya?! I heard about you in the news! I.. oh, I'm getting distracted." He walked up to her and stuck his hand out. She took it in a small hand shake before pulling away. "I am Miko. I assume you want to know where Chief Beifong is? I know where she is."

Kya's eyes widened and she said, quite quickly, "where? Where is she?"

He pointed towards Republic City. "There's an underground warehouse that they're keeping her in. I suggest you take some experienced benders with you because the people in there are dangerous. Now, I have to go before I get caught." He began running back the way he came, but turned his head and waved before he was out of sight.

This was a good sign, Kya thought. She might be able to find Lin before it's too late.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for reading this far in my story! I do have to admit that I was afraid that I would be writing for an audience of a few people, but then I uploaded the first chapter and I got amazing reviews from several people. I hope you all liked this chapter! Any suggestions for next chapter?


	7. 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kya spends the day worrying about Lin. Linny consoles her as they frantically search the city for any traces of their beloved Metalbender. (TRIGGER WARNING)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading! Please tell me if I need to simmer down on some details, I feel like I am going really in depth. Anyways, hope you all have a good read! (TRIGGER WARNING)

**PRESENT**

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Kya was thrumming with anticipation as they take the ferry over to the mainland. Ever since Miko had come to them and said something about Lin's whereabouts, she had been antsy. Linny knew that this was her typical behavior when she was worrying about something. 

Kya was silently standing near the edge of the ship, twiddling her thumbs. Linny silently walked up to her and cuddled into her side. Kya jumped, still new to being free and out of the torture. "Mommy, you okay?"

Kya rested her hand on Linny's shoulder and nodded. "You just startled me, honey. That's all."

Linny looked up at Kya and said, rather timidly, "do you think we're gonna find her? Is it that man that took her?"

Kya looked down at her daughter and shook her head, thoughts starting to race through her mind. _What if Avanik had her? I would never be able to forgive myself. If I had just gone with her..._ Kya was pulled out of her spiraling thoughts as the ferry docked. Tenzin squeezed her shoulder once they were all off of the ferry and smiled. "She's going to be okay, Kya. She is one of the strongest people we know."

Kya smiled up at her brother and nodded. "I am just worried that she is with... and what if he... and..."

Tenzin took her into a hug and sighed into his sisters hair, still relishing in the fact that she was, indeed, _alive_. "Kya, if what that boy had told you was true, I don't think it would've been him. From what you've said to me about where they kept you, it was quite far out of city limits." Kya nodded and returned the hug, grateful for her brother.

They were all in a group being led by Chinu. The group consisted of Chinu, Linny, Kya, Tenzin, Aang, and one of the air acolytes. Once they were near the middle of the city, Chinu stopped everyone. He listened intently for the sounds of the city. He shook his head and they continued. If there was one thing Kya was surprised by, it was Chinu's hearing. He could hear a pin drop from a mile away.

Kya was starting to let her mind race with thoughts of her previous captor, and this caused her to cry without noticing. They made their way around a few blocks of the city before Linny saw that her mother was crying. She stopped her mother in her tracks, but waved everyone else on to continue. She pulled Kya down so she could look her in the eyes and smiled, reaching up to wipe the tears from the corner of the Waterbenders eye. "Mommy," Linny whispered delicately, "it's going to be okay. With Chinu, nobody stands a chance. With you, nobody can even think about hurting anybody. We will find her, and when we do, we can give her what she gave us: freedom."

Kya hiccupped on a sob and pulled her daughter in for a tight hug. "You are way too wise for your own good, Linny. Though, I am grateful that you are because you know exactly how to comfort your mommy."

Linny smiled in to her shoulder and pulled her tighter. "That's what we're for. I love you, mommy. Now, let's go catch up with them before we get lost."

"I love you, too."

________________________________________

It had taken roughly four hours of walking around the city, and constant breaks for Kya and Linny, to find somewhere that could be the potential location of the warehouse. Chinu stopped, listening before he winced. What he heard was very muffled, but it sounded horrible. He walked over to a window on a nearby building and peaked inside of it. Aang walked up behind him and squinted. The inside of the building was completely empty, save for a couple doors and a folding chair. Chinu looked up to Aang and nodded. "This is the place." Aang stomped his foot, getting a feel of the area, and nodded.

Kya walked up behind them and timidly and asked, "is this the place?" Both of them turned to her and nodded.

Chinu forced the window open and hopped inside. "There are two doors in here. One looks like it leads back outside, the other is down a stairwell." He walked over to the stairwell and counted the steps. "There are fifty-five steps down to the door." Aang, Kya, and Chinu went down the stairs and were greeted by a metal door. "You two stand back, I am going to try to melt this handle."

"Be careful, honey."

He set his hand on the handle and focused all of his energy on bending. It took about ten minutes, but he was able to melt the handle and open the door. On the other side of the door was more stairs that led to a dark hallway. Tenzin, Linny, and the air acolyte made their way down and followed the three others to the bottom of the stairs.

The made their way further down the hallway until they came to a stop where the hall split into two different halls. One descended further into the earth, and the other kept going straight. Chinu turned to face the group and sighed, knowing they would all have to split. "Mom, grandpa, Linny come with me. Uncle Tenzin and Mira, go down that hall." He pointed to the hall that led straight. He then led his group down the stairwell.

Kya grabbed Aang's shoulder and said, "stop."

The group stopped in unison and looked at her. Aang took Kya's hands in his and asked, "what's up?"

She inhaled deeply taking in the foul odor of the hall. "This smell... it's... it's familiar. I can't put my finger on it, but every time he would come to us, he would smell strongly of this."

Aang took a deep breath and gagged. "This is a disgusting smell.."

They continued on their way and were led directly to another door at the end of the staircase. This door was wooden, but it was thick and there was not handle on it. Aang forced it open with his Earthbending and they all stepped into another hallway that was lined with doors and dim lanterns.

They walked roughly ten feet before a tall man came out of one of the rooms followed by thud from somewhere deep in the room. He was smiling as he wiped his hands on his pants, not yet noticing the group of people trying to hide. Linny tripped, causing him to look up at them. He quickly got into a fighting stance and shouted something incoherently. They all took a fighting stance of their own, prepared for what would come next.

Aang encased the man up to his waist in earth just for his attack to be countered. Three men came running down from the opposite end of the hallway and started to bend. There was an Earthbender, Firebender, and two Waterbenders.

The Firebender dropped into Horse Stance and shot his fist out towards the group, aiming directly for Chinu. He was able to counter the attack, but it still managed to hit him and he fell on the ground gripping his abdomen as he silently screamed in pain.

Before Aang made a scooted out of air and took out the Firebender and the Earthbender with chunks of rock. Before he could make it to the Waterbenders, they had gotten to Kya and Linny. They had made Linny pass out and were now working on Kya. Aang quickly made his way over to them and managed to encase one of them in earth.

"Dad, take care of Linny. I am going to see what's in that room."

Aang was going to argue, but saw the look of determination settled delicately on the woman's face and he nodded before turning towards Linny and the other Waterbender,

Kya slowly opened the door before turning around as she heard a grunt and a thud. Her eyes widened when she saw her fathers limp body lying next to his granddaughters. She quickly rushed into the room and slammed it shut before the Waterbender could get to her. She was so lost in thought that she barely missed the quiet "Kya?" that came from the far end of the room.

Kya's heart jumped and she practically sprinted to her. "Lin!"

She kneeled on the ground to take in the sight in front of her. She began to untie the rope that was keeping Lin from moving. Before she was finished, however, the door opened and the Waterbender rushed over to her. She spun around and quickly deflected the water that was shot at her.

"You are going to be sorry for entering this facility, lady."

"You are going to be sorry for hurting Lin."

"Oh, it's that old hag you're here for?" He smiled as he bent a stream of water towards Kya, but then made a quick movement and wrapped it around Lin's neck. "She's not worth it, trust me." Kya stepped forward to try and fight him, but he rose his finger up to stop her. "Ah, ah. You wouldn't want me to hurt her?"

Kya stopped almost as quickly as she started. She looked at Lin and looked back at the man, carefully contemplating her next move. She sighed and slouched her shoulders. "You knock my father and daughter out cold, and then threaten the Chief of Police's life because I am trying to help her? That's pretty low, if you ask me."

The man snapped a response back at her. "I didn't ask of your opinions!" He tightened the waters grip around Lin's neck and gained a strangled breath in response. "Now, I suggest you behave if you want _precious_ to survive this day."

Kya now knew what she had to do. Taking a deep breath, she said, "if you loosen your grip , I will do what you say."

The man chuckled and said, "do you think that I would believe any word that comes out of your mouth?" He paused, but looking at Kya in the eyes, when she didn't respond, he said, "that's what I thought."

Kya slowly brought her hand up so it was perpendicular with her body, but her arm was still straight. She tried to loosen the grip herself, but his hold was too strong. He felt that she was manipulating the water and tightened his grip further, causing Lin to gasp for air. The grip was now on the verge of too tight and just loose enough.

Since Kya couldn't do anything else, she rose her arm completely and focused all of her energy on bending. All of the sudden, the water spilled around Lin and the man was floating inches off of the ground.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Any suggestions for next chapter? And, yes, I am not sorry for ending on a cliffhanger :) Also, I was thinking about making a Kyalin professor AU. Let me know what you think about that, and I can start thinking of how to start one.


	8. 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lin's POV of chapter 7. (TRIGGER WARNING)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading this far and for leaving those wonderful comments! I hope y'all enjoy this chapter! (TRIGGER WARNING)

**PRESENT**

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By this point, Lin had lost track of how long she had been there. There was a dim light that leaked through the perimeter of the door, but it wasn't sunlight. She knew it was around five days, but it could have been as long as five months and she wouldn't have been able to tell the difference. The Metalbender wondered how Kya was doing. She had made a promise to return to the Waterbender, but she had failed on that. It wasn't the first promise she had ever broken, but she took pride in her ability to keep promises, so it hit her ego particularly hard. Lin also wondered how the kids were doing. Linny was attached to her ever since she had saved the young girl, so it must be hard on her that Lin hasn't returned yet. She also wondered about everyone on the island. Katara was always concerned about Lin. _"You bury yourself in work, Lin. You need to take time off."_ Aang, on the other hand, knew how hard Lin had worked to get to where she was, so he would just nod and smile. She wondered how Tenzin was handling this. She still had the desire to smack his arrow off of his head, but she still though about him from time to time. Although she was thinking about everyone else now, all of her thoughts always led her to one thing, and that thing was: Kya.

Lin was pulled out of her thoughts when she heard the door forcefully open. She picked her head up off of the ground and squinted at the figure. This was a new person. She was tall, had tattoos covering her arms, and was extremely pale. She walked over to Lin, taking her chin in her hand. "Aww, did I interrupt your beauty sleep?" She waited for Lin to answer, but was meant with silence, which only agitated the woman. "Well, too bad," she said as she forced Lin's head to land hardly against the ground, "you are getting a visitor today. He told me to tell you to be prepared for him. I think you're going to like it."

Lin huffed and chuckled, slightly wincing in pain when her jaw shot with pain. She then steeled herself and moved her head slightly and smiled, blood trickling down the sides of her lips. The woman scoffed and shook her head in disgust. "When I heard that we had _Lin Beifong_ in our unit, I wasn't expecting her to be so disgusting." She kneeled, now a small distance away from her and inhaled deeply. "You're a sick person. When we're through with you, you'll want nothing more than to cooperate with us." She opened the door and threw a tray at Lin that was previously sitting just outside of the door. "Eat up. You're going to need it."

Lin looked at the tray that was covered in bread and crackers. The bread looked to be way passed it's expiration date, and the crackers looked soft. She managed to make her way over to the tray and grabbed a piece of bread with her mouth. It was extremely stale, but she didn't mind. The taste of her own blood helped a bit, so she ate it anyways.

It had been a couple of hours, and Lin had willed herself to get some sleep. She had barely slept since she had gotten there. Sure, she was unconscious half of the time, but that doesn't mean she got sleep. She was startled from her sleep when a man yanked her up by the collar of her undershirt. "Hey there," he spat, "how are you doing?"

Lin smiled and sighed. "Not bad. Tell whoever cooks the food here that they need to buy new food. The food you feed me is always stale."

The man shoved Lin against the wall, and when she hit it with a grunt, he smiled. "The food is perfectly fine." She smirked and shook her head. He took a step closer to her and tightened his grip against her shirt. "What?!"

She spat in his face, making sure to get blood in his mouth. He immediately dropped her and worked on getting the fowl liquid out of his mouth. "How dare you! You are going to pay for that!"

Lin chuckled, welcoming the cool stone against her skin. "What are you going to do? Get information out of me?"

The man flicked his wrists, forcing the Metalbender to strain against her restraints. He smiled, knowing she couldn't counter the attacks because she was too weak. "That's exactly what I am going to do." He walked up to Lin and grabbed her face with both of his hands and he smiled down at her with a wicked smile. "Do you know who Avatar Aang is?"

"Of course I do! Who doesn't?"

"So, you know who Kya is?"

"I know who Bumi, Kya, and Tenzin are. It's public knowledge that they are Avatar Aang's and Master Katara's children."

"Where is she? I know she got away from Yakone, and I want her. She is worth a lot of money, and I need the funds."

Lin laughed and shook her head. She mumbled, just loud enough for him to hear, "Idiot, do you think I'll tell you anything about stuff like that?"

He took his hands off of her face and stepped back. He put his hand on his chin and his other arm across his chest. He seemed to be thinking about something deeply before he turned his attention back to Lin. He took a step towards her and stopped abruptly. He rose his arm and brought his palm so it hit Lin directly on her scars. "Will you reconsider telling me now," he said through gritted teeth.

"No."

He clenched his fist and used all of his strength so she fell limp against the floor after he made impact. He smiled and turned, deciding that he had enough of her for the day. He noticed that he still had blood on his hands, so he wiped them off as he walked out. He heard a noise and looked up, only to see the woman of whom they were talking about.

______________________________________________

Lin was finally able to open her eyes. A few moments after she was able to see clearly, the door opened. She was expecting the man to be back, but instead, a familiar figure made their way in to the door. She managed to rasp out a quiet, "Kya?"

Kya shot her head towards Lin so quickly that she thought her head might come off. "Lin!" As fast as Kya noticed Lin, she was by her side untying the ropes. Lin had missed Kya's gentle touch, and her warm gaze.

She was interrupted from her thoughts when the Waterbender came through the door and ran until he was stopped close to them. He smirked as he looked Kya up and down. "You are going to be sorry for entering this facility, lady."

The woman's posture stiffened slightly as she retaliated with, "you are going to be sorry for hurting Lin." Lin managed a slight smiled when she heard that. It warmed her heart that even after everything Kya had been through, she was still there for Lin.

The man looked to Lin and shook his head. "Oh, it's that old hag you're here for?" He smiled and bent a stream of water towards Kya. Kya was ready to deflect it, but he flicked his wrists slightly and the water found it's way around Lin's neck. It was a suffocating feeling. She was frantically looking at both Waterbenders to assess the scene. The man said something that she couldn't quite make out. Kya stepped forward, seemingly trying to fight him. He rose his finger up to stop her, saying something that went unheard from the Police Chief.

Kya stopped her movements all together and she looked at Lin. After she made quick eye contact, she looked back to the man and slouched her shoulders with an audible sigh. Lin focused really hard so she could hear what Kya was going to say. She made out, "... knock... daughter out cold... that's pretty low..."

When the man snapped back at her, she could hear him as clear as day. "I didn't ask of your opinions!" After he said that, the water tightened around her neck, furthering the suffocating feeling. Her toes were beginning to numb and she feared for the worse. She her eyes were ringing, but she was able to tell the direction of the conversation between the two based off of facial expressions alone.

She looked at Kya as she rose her hand slightly. She could feel her trying to loosen the water's tight grip from her neck, but the man was able to feel her manipulating it. He then tightened it further and Lin choked, gasping for air. The next thing she was able to make out was water pooling around her and absolute silence. She looked at Kya as she had her arm raised. She then turned her attention to the man who was straining himself as he was floating off of the ground.

Lin's eyes widened in realization of what was happening. Kya was bloodbending. She tried to move, but that failed her, so she resorted in her voice, trusting that it wouldn't show her emotion. "Kya...," she gasped, "Kya, you're... you're bloodbending."

Kya looked as if she had been snapped out of a trance and dropped her arm quickly. The man fell to the ground, now unconscious and she, too, fell to her knees. Lin only heard soft sniffles as adrenaline took over. She was able to rip the rope off of it's base and she made her way to Kya and collapsed against her lap. "Kya, it's okay... It's okay..."

Kya continued to cry until Tenzin came down to find them. The rest of the day went by in a blur of healing and constant questions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Any suggestions for next chapter? Also, how long should I make this story be? I have nothing planned out in the future, so I don't really know how long to make this. I'll be happy to write for as long as I can, so if you have any desire for it to reach, say, 15 chapters, please tell me.


	9. 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lin and Kya have a talk about everything. (Also, I don't think there is a trigger warning in this. It is 90% fluff.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I hope you all enjoy this chapter! Also, be warned, this chapter is shorter than my usual 1,500-1,800 word chapter because I thought that where I ended was a good place to end. (Also, I don't think there is a trigger warning in this. It is 90% fluff.)

**PRESENT**

______________________________________

It had been five days since Lin had been back. She had spent four out of five of those days trying to pin who exactly was under this. They were able to locate six people, one of those being Avanik. Lin had drowned herself in work and only ever came out to have dinner with Aang, Katara, and the family. One thing that concerned Lin was the fact that Kya never ate dinner with them. After everyone was done eating, Katara would have Linny bring her mother a plate of food. On that fifth night, Lin had decided that she wanted to talk with Kya, so instead of having Linny take Kya her food, the Metlabender offered to. Katara nodded and smiled, knowing that Lin was concerned for her friends, even though she would never say it.

______________________________________

Kya was sitting on her bed, looking out the window as tears rolled down her cheeks. She knew that avoiding everyone was wrong of her, but she hated herself. She had done exactly what Yakone had done to her, and in front of Lin, too. She so desperately wanted to hide away in a corner, but all she could manage was locking herself in her room, allowing only the occasional visitor.

After about ten minutes of her staring out the window, lost in thought, there was a light knock on the door. Kya managed a quiet, "come in," before she sniffled and let more tears roll down her face.

The door opened slowly, and the woman she was dreading to see came walking into the room with a plate of food. Lin slowly closed the door and turned again to face Kya. She sighed quietly as she started to walk up to Kya. Each step Lin took became a bit quicker when she noticed that Kya was crying. She set the plate down on the vanity and sat next to Kya on the bed. The Metalbender silently took her into her arms and whispered quietly into the Waterbender's soft hair.

They sat there for a while, simply enjoying the comfort that the both of them had to offer. Kya decided that now was the time to turn and face her, fearing rejection and hatred to come from her friend. When she looked into Lin's eyes, she saw confusion and worry. She saw something else, as well, but she couldn't quite put a name on it. Kya smiled slightly, raising a shaky hand to Lin's face to trace her scars. "Are you okay?"

Lin place her hand over Kya's that was on her cheek and nodded, before staring into Kya's eyes. "Are _you_ okay? It looks like you've been crying for a while, and I've been told that you haven't left this room since you got back."

Kya turned her head to face the window and let a few more tears roll down her cheeks until turning back to face Lin. "I bloodbent, Lin. I... How could you not hate me? How are you... how are you not disgusted?"

The Chief of Police scoffed and took Kya's face in her hands. "Kya, you are one of my best friends. I would _never_ hate you, and I would _never_ be disgusted by you." Lin inhaled slowly as she dropped her hands to the Waterbender's shoulders. "Kya, why would you think that I would hate you? You saved me. You've helped me more in the time you've been back than anyone has in my whole life. I know that starting our friendship where we left off may be hard, but hating you is something that I find ridiculous." She then wrapped her arms around Kya's neck and pulled the elder woman's face into her shoulder.

Kya began to shake with sobs, not caring how wet she was making Lin's shoulder. "Lin.. I am sorry. For everything. I should have came to you sooner. I should have found you sooner. I should have-"

She was cut off by Lin putting her finger to her lips. "There is no need to be sorry, Kya. By being there as long as I was, I was able to find out about this system that they have going. I even found out some of the people involved in your case. We've arrested six people, Kya. Six! And one of those people was a man that was directly involved with you."

Kya pulled back and her eyes widened at this news. "Who did you arrest? That was involved with me?"

Lin looked down to where her feet were and blinked, trying to recall his name. "I think his name is Avanik."

Kya gasped and smiled, taking Lin's hand in hers and intertwining their fingers. "Lin! This is great! Avanik was Yakone's right-hand man." She paused, making Lin to look up to up to her. Her face was unreadable, and she was afraid what might come out of her mouth next. "Avanik is Chinu and Linny's father."

The Metalbender squeezed Kya's hand and tilted her head slightly. "Are you doing alright?"

Kya nodded, a small smile playing at the edges of her lips. "It's just surprising that you got him. He was always so sure that he would never be found."

Lin smirked, managing a small chuckle. "That mentality sure proved him right."

Kya's smile widened a bit as she looked at Lin, forgetting that she had been crying just ten minutes ago, and took the woman in. She looked gorgeous, the sunlight shining through the window illuminating her dark hair and her pale skin. "Are you going to arrest me for bloodbending? As far as I know, it's illegal in Republic City."

"Yeah. I might just have to take you into custody and lock you away for life."

Kya gasped, shoving Lin's shoulder slightly. "That's a bit long for my offense."

Lin laughed, a rare laugh that very few people ever hear. "You are being charged of more than that Kya."

Kya, now confused, asked, "What else have I done?"

Lin folded her hands together and looked down at them, now nervous and not so sure of herself. Kya got off of the bed and kneeled in front of her, forcing the pair to make eye contact. "Lin, what's wrong? You're worrying me."

Lin smiled and leaned so that her mouth was just in front of the Waterbender's ear. She whispered, "I am charging you for stealing my heart."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Do you have any suggestions for next chapter? I am thinking that I will be ending this in a few chapters and start up on a Kyalin Professor AU. (Sorry for the cliffhanger.)


	10. 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kya is surprised by what Lin had to say to her. She always thought that Lin would never think of her like that, especially after what she had been through. (TRIGGER WARNING)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Thanks for making it this far! I love all of the comments that I receive and I will respond to EVERY comment. (TRIGGER WARNING)

**PRESENT**

________________________________

Kya shuddered when Lin's hot breath made contact with her ear. Although she was nervous about what Lin was going to say, she was also excited for what was to come. When Lin spoke the words, "I am charging you for stealing my heart," Kya's world seemed to vanish and all she could think of was _Lin_.

The Metalbender pulled away quickly, fearing that she had gone too far, only to be pulled into a hug. "Wha-"

"Shush, Lin, I'm allowed to hug you." She pulled back, keeping her arms around the younger woman's neck, looking her in the eyes. "I didn't respond right away because I was surprised. Why would anybody like," she pulled away, gesturing to her extremely thin, battered body, "this?"

Lin opened her mouth, closing it before she could say something inappropriate. Kya rose her eyebrow and but her hand in her chin, waiting for an answer. Lin sighed, looking at the wall behind Kya, "I don't like you for your body, I like you for _you_. Yes, your body is beautiful, but you are absolutely amazing."

Kya's lips turned up into a small smile as she leaned forward a bit, bringing her finger up to tap the Metalbender's nose. "You know, I thought you weren't one for words. What happened to that? Did the Lin I knew grow up into someone who speaks their mind?"

Lin felt her cheeks flush, failing to hide it. "I.. I had to tell you." She was suddenly in a very serious mood, making eye contact with the elder woman. "I am still not one for words, and I will never be. Ever. It's just, ever since you've returned, I've felt something shift in me. I can't explain it."

Kya smiled knowingly. "Your aura has changed a lot. One of the things I remember when I first saw you is that your aura was dark. It has lightened up a bit, and I'm happy about that." The Waterbender looked down to her legs, suddenly feeling very self conscious. "I... if you want something to happen... between us... can we take it slow? I am still in denial about everything that is happening, and I hate my body."

Lin grabbed her hands, running her thumbs along her knuckles. "Of course, Kya. You just got out of a traumatic experience, and you had to save me from those people. Besides, I'm not too comfortable moving fast, either."

Kya sniffled, tears starting to trickle down her cheeks. She launched herself and Lin, burying her face in the woman's shoulder. They sat in that position for a while, just enjoying the other's company until Linny decided to allow herself into the room without knocking. The young girl stopped dead in her tracks and stared at the two, confused at what was happening. Her mommy and her savoir were hugging each other tightly, staring right back at her. "Am I not supposed to be here right now?"

Kya held her hand out, gesturing for Linny to come to them. Linny shuffled over to them, taking her mother's hand in her own. "Mommy, Chinu and some other kid are fighting. Grandma Katara tried to stop them, but they keep yelling at each other. It scares me."

Kya carefully untangled herself from Lin. She knelt down so she could look her daughter in the eyes. "Do you know who this kid is?"

Linny nodded. "It's that kid that told you where Lin was. I think his name is Miko."

Lin abruptly stood, looking at Linny. "His name is Miko."

Kya looked up at Lin, confused. "You know him?"

The Metalbender sighed and shook her head. "Yes. It's a story that I will tell you later. We have to go get Chinu, though. You don't want to get on that kids bad side."

When they all made their way to the garden, the boys were no longer fighting, but playing a Pai Sho game. Miko looked up and noticed that Lin was walking towards them. He shrunk into himself and quietly said, "you can win." Chinu cheered and ran over to his mother, letting her know that he won.

Lin made her way over to Miko, observing the tiles on the board. "Hi, kid. Thank you for telling them where I was. It was the right decision."

Miko nodded. "Just because I helped you doesn't mean I like you any more than I did the first time I saw you," he snapped at her.

Lin nodded, saying, "I understand."

Linny ran over to them and said, "Miko, Chinu said that he doesn't want to fight with you anymore and that he wants to be friends with you. You can only be friends with him if you're friends with me 'cause we have to share."

Miko chuckled, patting Linny on the shoulder. "All right, I'll be your friend."

The three children spent the rest of the day being children, albeit awkwardly.

________________________________

**10 YEARS LATER**

________________________________

Kya stretched as she woke, patting the other side of the bed with her outstretched arm. It was empty. She opened her eyes slightly and turned her head. The smell of food wafting in to the room made her smile. A young Junsik ran in to her room just as she stood. "Mommy! You're awake! Mother just got finished making breakfast. She sent me to get you."

Kya chuckled and ruffled his hair. "Thank you, honey. Go tell her that I will be down in a moment."

Junsik nodded and ran. She could hear his voice through the door. She smiled and shut the door, contemplating on what to wear that day. She chose a simple blue dress with silver earrings. She put her hair up and grabbed her necklace. She took a moment to trace her fingers over the design. She remembered the day that Lin had asked her to marry her. It was a beautiful night. The couple were in the South Pole, visiting friends. They were sitting on a rock away from the town, admiring the stars in the sky. Lin had thought it was the perfect moment to pop the question, and it was.

Kya made her way to the breakfast table, smiling when she saw Miko helping Lin dish the plates. He had come to live with them about five years ago. He was a sweet boy, and he loved the two women very much. Lin smiled when she noticed that Kya had finally made it downstairs. She placed a plate in front of her wife, stealing a quick kiss. "Morning," the elder woman said.

After all of them had a plate, Lin sat next to her and reciprocated the good morning. Kya smiled and grabbed Lin's hand under the table. "How are you today, kids?"

Chinu was the first to respond with a "good." Linny grumbled and Junsik giggled.

Miko said, "I am doing wonderful. How about you?"

"I am doing good." She turned her attention to Chinu, "Chinu, how's that boyfriend of yours doing?"

"Moooom!" He said before shoving food in his mouth. He swallowed and looked up to his mother. "He's doing good. He said that he thinks it's a good idea if I go into the United Forces. I really want to be with him, and I think it would be cool to help protect the people that I love and admire."

Kya smiled and turned her attention to Linny. "Linny, darling, how is your boyfriend doing?"

Linny looked up to her and sniffled. "I hate him! He is the worst person ever!"

Lin said, "We'll talk about it later, okay? If I have to arrest him, I will." She smirked, taking a bite of egg.

Kya turned to Junsik and smiled, already knowing that he was excited about playing with his new friend. "Junsik, how is Mazu doing? I haven't talked with her mother for a while."

"She is doing great! She sent me a letter the other day saying that they were coming here to visit Iroh."

Chinu perked up, "really?!"

Junsik, oblivious to why his brother was so excited, said, "yes, really."

The rest of the breakfast went by with the occasional grumble from Linny and the occasional scream from Junsik. Kya loved when she had her whole family together for breakfast. It felt like it was something from a fairy tale. Something that wasn't meant to be, yet here it was. She had it, and she would never change a thing.

________________________________

**23 YEARS LATER**

________________________________

Kya sat on the garden of Air Temple Island that faced the city, admiring the spirit portal that Avatar Korra had created. She did not notice her wife coming up behind her, and was startled when a pair of strong arms wrapped around her. "Sorry," the Chief of Police said gruffly.

Kya looked up at her and smiled. "It's okay." She stood and turned to face the woman, taking her in to a tight hug. "I've never told Korra who my first girlfriend was."

Lin chuckled, bringing one of her hands up to trace Kya's jawline. "You should tell her who your _wife_ is."

Kya's eyes widened, surprised that Lin was all of the sudden okay with the young woman knowing. "Who are you and what have you done with my Lin?"

Lin smirked and pulled Kya into a deep kiss. "I love you, Kya."

"I love you, too, Lin. Forever."

"Forever."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed! <3 Also, I may or may not start on the Kyalin Professor AU before Christmas. (Mostly because I will be getting my wisdom teeth removed at some point soon.) But time will tell.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!


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